Saturday, January 16, 2016

Where does God live?

God’s abode
Where do you live, God?
Where can I find you abiding?
I find you in moments of awe – breathing in the odor of lavender
I find you in moments of wonder – looking across the icy waters toward the snow-covered hills
I find you in moments of anxiety—lighting the flame of a devotional candle
I find you in  moments of searching– inspired by a preacher’s words
I find you in moments of connectedness  -- walking over worn steps of an abbey
I find you in moments of delight—dancing a reel on a straw-strewn barn floor
I find you in moments of assurance – singing ancient melodies in worship
I find you in moments of seeking--sitting in prayer in the dark recesses of an ancient cathedral
I find you in moments of risk—witnessing for justice at the feet of power
I find you in moments of sorrow—words of memory flowing over me at a funeral
I find you in moments of insecurity—reciting memorized words of ancient prayers …I shall not want
Where do you live, God?
Where can I find you abiding?
Your house is my house. 
Your world is my world. 
Your being abides in me and my being abides in you.
Open my heart to find you everywhere I find myself.

Written while on retreat at the Windermere Centre of the United Reformed Church in Windermere, Cumbria